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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Some days, it's nice to just take a trip somewhere far away. Or at least, a little bit far.

There was this lovely little trip to Hakkeijima last month.

Near the ocean, the wind whipped through hair and grasses mercilessly. Yet, the sunlight was just warm enough to keep the temperature bearable. Soon, I forgot all about the wind.

Swimming, floating, glimmering in the bright blue waters illuminated by the sun above.

Isn't it nice to encounter someone new, to greet each other face to face?

This guy wasn't shy at all.

As it starts to warm up steadily, moving from chilly spring to comfortable early summer, I find myself daydreaming about being outside, surrounded by grass and trees, smelling the salty ocean air. And then some days, it becomes reality.

Being removed from the onward rush of the world, letting obligations and to-do lists melt away into the background for a while... all there is - a gentle wind, laughter, exploration of new corners and twists in the path.

No need to hide behind your usual covers.

Time to soar, to be free and yourself.

Time to be relaxed and laze around as you wish, soaking in each moment of it.

Gazing at the wonders around you, which you didn't realize were right there.

It's so refreshing to finally post photos from this trip. With my packed schedule these days, it's getting harder to have opportunities like this - something I want to change! I think going on a small trip somewhere different once in a while is essential to revitalizing yourself. I'm going to try to make more time and explore new places more often. Especially being near nature or near the sea... it really gives me energy. The big city can be great too, so exciting and colorful with many things to do. But there is nothing like the deep peace that washes over me when I get back in touch with nature. *happy sigh* :)

Thursday, April 25, 2013

So when coming here for a fashion show during Tokyo Fashion Week, I accidentally discovered what a gorgeous location Ebisu Garden Place is at night. I've been there during daytime, but at night... wow. Total transformation. There was a mysterious sense of elegance that I really wanted to capture somehow. Photoshooting there with Lillian was a delight, reveling in the magnificent quiet in this spacious and prettily lit set of structures.

Lillian, thank you so much for shooting together and doing such a fantastic job!

Monday, April 22, 2013

This shoot marks another first for me, as it was my first time doing a mother and daughter photoshoot! I must admit I was nervous at first, but Hanna and her beautiful daughter Momiji were fantastic. I just stood back and did my best to capture the interactions taking place between parent and child. Momiji was a bit shy at first, but she quickly got used to the girl snapping away with her camera for some reason.. even coming up to me and letting me try her bubble maker! And inviting me to have a stick fight. Awesome! Momiji is such a cute and smart girl, I am sure she will grow up to be a beauty as well :) In addition, Hanna was so cheerful and encouraging as a mom, I could see why Momiji had such an imagination and felt free to dance and jump around in the photos above. It was a wonderful experience for me, and I definitely would love to do more children photoshoots!

Finally posting up these photos from a shoot with the lovely Stephanie last month! It was so nice to spend a while on that sunny afternoon photoshooting and chatting with this sweet and cool girl. Not only is Stephanie a talented model, as you can see from her growing portfolio work, but she is also a wonderful artist. I was so happy when she showed me some of her fantastic drawings! It was really interesting talking with Stephanie as she is multilingual and has lived in so many different places... I would love to travel around more and see some of them. It's very lucky that our intersecting interests, in modeling and photography, brought us to meet here in Tokyo.

Stephanie, thank you so much! I'm looking forward to seeing you again soon :)

Sunday, April 21, 2013

These are some of my favorite shots from a second photoshoot I did with the lovely Michi,
which took place last month. This shoot was special since it marked one
of the very first times I did a collaboration with a hair and makeup
artist. This time, I had the opportunity to work with the talented
Chihiro, whom I met while assisting for a photoshoot previously. Up
until then, I have always been doing shoots solo; at this shoot, I
experienced what it was like to create photos as a team. Chihiro and her
assistant worked on Michi's hair and makeup first, then we all went for
a walk together to take the photos. It was a wonderful experience
collaborating, and I would definitely like to try it more often. The
mid-day light filtered through the trees overhead and wrapped softly
around Michi, who looked gorgeous and angelic as always!

Sorry for the lack of updates in the past week; I have been so busy and barely had the time to sit down to make a post. Shootings were happening on weekday nights after work and also this weekend, so lots to edit again! Please look forward to more coming soon :)